Next, we visited National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, who is well-known also in Japan. Presumably our guide arranged the order of the sightseeing sites. When we arrived there, the changing of the guard, which was the principal tourist attraction of this facility, was just about to begin.
After we followed the guards for a few minutes, our guide took us to the floor where the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was placed ahead of the guards by another route. Just the moment we reached the statue, the guards appeared before us using the elevator. Their brisk movement and posture gave us a kind of refreshing feel.
While watching their movement, I thought of the history of Taiwan. Why was he honored in such a way? What do the Taiwanese think of him? He got away from China after the humiliating defeat against the Chinese Communist Party and invaded Taiwan. Moreover, he perpetrated a massacre, the genocidal killing of intellectual Taiwanese figures. I pestered our guide for his sincere opinion. "Taiwan is under the control of the Chinese now", he answered regrettably.
The URL below is linked with a map showing my flight route from Tokyo to Taipei. I'd like to have seen and taken aerial pictures of Senkaku Island, which China wants, but thick clouds prevented us from seeing below, and the route of the flight veered off the island.
Flight Route to Taipei:
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Taiwan13/TtoTaiwan.html
(Vocabulary)
a humiliating/crushing/heavy defeat 屈辱的な［決定的な，手痛い］敗北
a narrow defeat 際どい敗北
After we followed the guards for a few minutes, our guide took us to the floor where the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was placed ahead of the guards by another route. Just the moment we reached the statue, the guards appeared before us using the elevator. Their brisk movement and posture gave us a kind of refreshing feel.
While watching their movement, I thought of the history of Taiwan. Why was he honored in such a way? What do the Taiwanese think of him? He got away from China after the humiliating defeat against the Chinese Communist Party and invaded Taiwan. Moreover, he perpetrated a massacre, the genocidal killing of intellectual Taiwanese figures. I pestered our guide for his sincere opinion. "Taiwan is under the control of the Chinese now", he answered regrettably.
The URL below is linked with a map showing my flight route from Tokyo to Taipei. I'd like to have seen and taken aerial pictures of Senkaku Island, which China wants, but thick clouds prevented us from seeing below, and the route of the flight veered off the island.
Flight Route to Taipei:
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Taiwan13/TtoTaiwan.html
(Vocabulary)
a humiliating/crushing/heavy defeat 屈辱的な［決定的な，手痛い］敗北
a narrow defeat 際どい敗北
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